Lien Chieu District Police said that at 9:00 p.m. on November 28, a young man was driving a motorbike when he unfortunately fell into a drainage canal on the extended road No. 6 (Hoa Khanh Industrial Park).
Fortunately, the authorities responded and brought the young man safely to shore. The young man said that because it was dark and he was following Google Maps' instructions, he fell into the canal.
The incident of a young man in Da Nang falling off a channel because of following Google Maps is just a small matter compared to the incident in India.
India's Business Today reported that on November 24 in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, a Suzuki Maruti Wagon R followed Google Maps' instructions to climb an unfinished bridge and fell into the river from a height of 15 meters, killing all 3 people in the car.
The case of the young man falling into the canal in Da Nang does not have detailed information about how Google Maps was used, so it is not possible to determine the cause of the error.
The incident in India has sparked a huge controversy among the parties involved.
First of all, the victims’ families criticized the local authorities for not implementing enough safety measures at the construction site. The victims’ families and the people were outraged and criticized, and rightly so, because the bridge was under construction but there were no measures to ensure safety.
After this accident, many other accidents caused by Google Maps directions were reported. The accidents were very serious, not only in India, but also in other countries such as the US, Russia, Norway... The accidents were very diverse such as going into dead ends, swamps, falling into holes, driving into the middle of fields.
Google Maps does not take responsibility for accidents, often explaining them as due to objective causes.
Who is responsible is unknown, but the accidents are a warning to authorities and drivers.
For the government, construction sites must have signs and barriers to ensure the safety of people and vehicles. In Vietnam, the law clearly stipulates safety at construction sites, and the management agency must inspect.
But before waiting for the authorities, each person must know how to protect their own lives first. Follow Google, but observe carefully, go to places where the terrain is not familiar, should drive slowly to easily handle unexpected situations.
Many Vietnamese people travel abroad, and those who rent a car to experience foreign lands often follow Google Maps' directions. To ensure safety, carefully study the terrain and weather, and ask local people for more information for the trip.
If you only trust Google Maps, you may encounter unexpected and dangerous situations.
